An initial creamy entry becomes thinned as the whisky gently releases ripe and dried fruit, nuts (fresh green almond in particular) and cereal with honey and a sprinkle of salt. The finish is bitter-dry.

Tasting notes:

Nose: What immediately strikes my nose is the aroma of ripe apricot and nectarine, though unfortunately tainted with the faintest smell of ethanol. Grainy with cereal notes, the distillate sends sparks of barley flying indiscriminately with anise seed and vanilla. The vanilla is flaky and pastry like, almost akin to a vanilla slice.

Taste: Initially soft and creamy, the viscosity of this whisky quickly thins on the palate. Cereal notes dominate with hints of oat and the mild string of the bite of a cinnamon stick with a sprinkle of salt. Honeyed fruit develops, again apricot, and as the whisky rests on the palate it dries into mixed dried fruit and nuts. The flavours are very subtle, and dominated by cereal notes and the drying oak influence.

Finish: On the finish the sweet fruit lingers with the bitter-dry note of a ripe green almond and wood. This is a very nice single malt whisky, though a step down from the Glengoyne 18 year old in my opinion.